Aug 01, Colombo: Sri Lanka Minister of Disaster Management Mahinda Amaraweera said that the government has allocated Rs. 1.9 billion to provide relief to the people affected by the drought in the country's dry zone.

The Minster stated that the money for drought relief has been distributed among the district secretaries of the drought stricken districts in the north and east.

He said the money would be utilized to buy water tanks etc. to store drinking water.

Polonnaruwa District Secretary Nimal Abeysiri said that the entire district except Thamankaduwa and Alahera divisional secretariats have been affected by a shortage of drinking water. He said that 19 bowsers have been deployed to distribute potable water.

The residents speaking to media said that they are in short of vessels to store water. The officials say that lot of water is wasted when people fill small vessels with water.

Some other residents lamented that water is distributed only to the residents who live by the main roads.

The north and east of the country have not received significant rain since last November. The southwestern monsoon rains have been below average so far.

Meanwhile, the Met Department today forecast southwestern monsoonal showers in the southwestern parts and thundershowers in the drought prevailing northern and eastern parts of the country.

The northern and eastern parts of the country received less rain in the past northeastern monsoon and expect inter monsoonal showers these days.